[-empyre-] Introduction: Between Biology and Art Welcome Byron Rich

[Renate Terese Ferro]

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We will begin our Introductory posts for the topic Between Biology and Art this 
weekend joined by Byron Rich.  Byron and I will be setting the foundation for 
our discussion over the next three and a half weeks. These generative 
iterations create grounds of tension for creative and critical engagement 
within the fields of biological and artistic research and production.
Historically we all recall the case of Steve Kurtz, SUNY Buffalo and Critical 
Arts Ensemble member who in May of 2004 was accused of bio-terrorism because 
Homeland Security agents mistook his biologically based performance inspired by 
the global GMO contaminated food system.

This is not the first time we have hosted bio science artists into our 
–empyre-soft skinned space. In February 2013 we hosted a memorial discussion in 
honor of artist Beatriz DaCosta. Beatriz was a leading voice in socially 
activist artistic work in the areas of biology, engineering, and technology.

I was inspired to host this topic this month because at this past summer’s ISEA 
conference in Hong Kong I noted so many young artists who were doing research.
Inspired by all of them empyre invites new media artists, researchers, 
historians and others to join us to investigate current topics such as germs,
fermenting, probiotics, skin, ecologies and many more intersections between 
biology, technology, and new media practices.

Hope these comments will inspire some of our subscribers to write in. And I am 
thrilled that Byron has so valiantly agreed to start things out with me.  Here 
is his biography: 

Byron Rich (CA) is an artist, professor and lecturer born in Calgary, Alberta, 
Canada. His work exploring speculative design, biology futures and tactical 
media has been widely shown and spoken about internationally. He pursued a 
degree in New-Media at The University of Calgary before finding himself in 
Buffalo, New York where he obtained an MFA in Emerging Practices at The 
University at Buffalo. He now teaches Electronic Art & Intermedia at Allegheny 
College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. 


Renate Ferro
Visiting Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Art
Tjaden Hall 306
rfe...@cornell.edu



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[-empyre-] Welcome to our new -empyre topic: Between Biology and Art

[Renate Terese Ferro]

--empyre- soft-skinned space--
Welcome to February 2017 on –empyre soft-skinned space
Between Biology and Art

 
Moderated by
Renate Ferro (US) with invited discussants 
 
 
Introduction:  Byron Rich (US)
 
Week 2: February 13 Lindsay Kelley (AU), Kathy High (US)
 
Week 3: February 20 Soyu Lee (KR  ) Paul Vanouse (US)
 
Week 4:  February 27 Tarsh Bates (AU), Antoinette LaFarge (US), and Margherita 
Pevere

 
Within the hybrid interventions of BIOART, the tools of the citizen artist and 
new media technologies converge. This month –empyre- subscribers and guests 
will inhabit the territories
between biology and art. Between the boundaries of truth and the imagination 
the cross-disciplinary discipline relates to such conceptual issues as 
politics, race, feminism, ethics, and scientific methodology, among others.  
Networked technology, social media, new media practices, participatory 
practices, performance, sound, video and a host of other new media and 
networked practices
have been at the center of communicating this research.

 
A side note: A few of our guests will converge in real space as part of the 
College Art Association’s New Media Caucus Round Table.  The title of the round 
table, Between Biology
and Art, will convene on February 17th from 3:30 to 5:00 pm in at the New York 
Hilton Hotel, 2nd Floor in the Gibson Suite.  If you are a part of the College 
Art Association hope you will drop by but in the meantime for the entire month 
of February we will include an international group of artists whose research 
resides in this cross-disciplinary

Biographies are listed below.
 
 TO MAKE A POST TO THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST: 
empyre@lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au 

 
 TO ACCESS ARCHIVES: 
http://lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au/pipermail/empyre/  
 
TO ACCESSTHE WEBSITE FROM THE CORNELL SERVER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT –EMPYRE-:
http://empyre.library.cornell.edu 
 

I will introduce our guests weekly.  Looking forward to this discussion.  
Renate Ferro

Moderator’s Biography:
Renate Ferro’s (US) creative work resides within the areas of emerging 
technology, new media and culture. Her artistic work has been featured at the 
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), The Freud Museum (London), The 
Dorksy Gallery (NY), The Hemispheric Institute and FOMMA (Mexico), and The 
Janus Pannonius Muzeum (Hungary). Ferro is a Visiting Associate Professor of 
Art at Cornell University.  She has been on the moderating team of -empyre- 
soft-skinned space since 2007 and is currently the managing moderator.



Renate Ferro
Visiting Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Art
Tjaden Hall 306
rfe...@cornell.edu



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[-empyre-] resolving to dissolve

[Timothy Conway Murray]

--empyre- soft-skinned space--
Hi, everyone,

Just want to thank all of you who have called us to critical attention
with your New Year's resolutions on the eve of new global fascism.  We're
now moving into the February discussion, which Reante will introduce in a
bit.  Stay vigilant, and please remain dedicated to the critical
imperatives of -empyre-.

Best,

Tim

Timothy Murray
Professor of Comparative Literature and English
Taylor Family Director, Society for the Humanities
http://www.arts.cornell.edu/sochum/
Curator, Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media Art
http://goldsen.library.cornell.edu
A D White House
Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York 14853




>

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